I've been taking the metro to work everyday since August 2008. I'm an Orange Line rider, but occasionally have taken the blue, green and red to get around. Overall, I get where I need to go, but I hear complaints everywhere. It's a mix of 1) The metro employees suck 2) The metro executives suck 3) The metro riders suck.
Here's my review: it's a mix of all three.
First of all, I don't think we should blame everything on the metro employees. As much as we hate it when we hear them calling on the radio that we have to "de-train", I'm sure they aren't thriilled to be sitting in the front of a broken train. Yes, there are some really crappy employees that text-while-driving and do other illegal things, but I've never seen that with my own two eyes so I don't think it's that rampant.
Secondly, if our metro trains are breaking down, then why did the metro executive offices get new chairs or carpet or something a year ago? If the track is breaking and the cars and disgusting and unsafe, why do the metro exec's still have ridiculously high salaries?
Thirdly, I rode the WMATA Metro Bus today. The passengers were 10 times more friendly than on the metro train. The difference was a marked improvement on my regular "I'm going to look you up and down, not smile, not move and push you over if you get in my space" metro train ride. I mean sometimes something that happens to me on the metro train in the morning can ruin my day. Like the time I stood on the metro and it didn't move for 15 minutes. Then again, on the bus line, a child did kiss my leg repeatedly until his mother pried him off (ew). So you take what you can get as far as clientele, I guess.
Overall, I have gotten everywhere I needed to get safely, and gotten a few good stories out of it. But I think the biggest problem is the major 'tudes of metro passengers. We're all going in the same direction, we all don't want to be stuck, we all want that seat with no one sitting by us... can't we all just get along?
Monday, January 25, 2010
A year and a half in --- my WMATA Metro Review
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2 comments:
I don't have much of an issue with the Metro employees. My issue is mainly with the Metro riders. I don't mind the mornings because mostly everyone riding is going to work and they're tired, so they're quiet. But I have issue with young adults making out, or people talking loudly on their cell phones, or people who sit on the outside and refuse to get up for someone to sit in the empty seat next to them. I hate it when men run (run!) to an empty seat when there are women standing. I hate when people sing along with their iPod, and I hate people who don't move to the center of the car at rush hour in the afternoon, keeping me from squeezing on.
BUT, I keep telling myself that it must be better than other public transportation like Atl, NYC or Chicago...right?
I hope it's better. If it's not, then I hurt for those other cities!
Once, I told my mom about all the young guys who sit there w/ their ipods on and don't let older ladies sit down (while I'm standing, I rarely sit). She said to me "Meghan, they must need to sit down much more than we realize they do." It's hard to think that all of the time, but when I find myself getting worked up over something I try to take that tone...
"They must be in a hurry for something truly important, that's why they cut in front of me." or "They must really need to sit - that's why they're there"...
glad to know I'm not alone!
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